BACKGROUND: Urolithiasis (urinary stones) is a common disease with an increasing incidence globally. It often presents with renal colic, which is characterised by acute and intense abdominal pain. The first step in the management of renal colic is pain control. Various medications, including narcotics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antispasmodics, and others, have been used for this condition. NSAIDs are amongst the most commonly used drugs for renal colic. They act by reducing inflammation and lowering the pressure inside the urinary collecting system. This review updates a previous Cochrane Systematic Review (Afshar 2015), focusing exclusively on NSAIDs. OBJECTIVES: To assess the benefits and harms of different nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for the management of pain in adults with acute renal colic. SEARCH METHODS: We performed a comprehensive search of the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Embase, Google Scholar, trial registries, and conference proceedings up to 25 August 2023. We applied no restrictions on publication language or status. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomised (or quasi-randomised) controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effects of NSAIDs in the management of renal colic adult patients (i.e. study participants over 16 years of age). We included studies that compared NSAIDs versus placebo, one NSAID versus another, or different doses or routes of administration of the same NSAID. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently classified studies and abstracted data from the included studies. Primary outcomes included pain up to one hour after treatment as measured by a validated patient-reported tool, the need for rescue medication up to six hours after treatment, and serious adverse events up to one week after treatment. Secondary outcomes included pain recurrence, significant pain relief, and minor adverse events. We performed meta-analysis using the random-effects model. We rated the certainty of evidence according to the GRADE approach. MAIN RESULTS: Our search identified 29 RCTs for inclusion in the review. The 29 studies involved a total of 3593 participants who were randomly allocated to treatment with an NSAID or placebo. The mean age of participants ranged from 27 to 47 years across the studies. Participants used a 10 cm visual analogue scale (VAS) to indicate the extent of their pain. NSAIDs versus placebo NSAIDs may reduce renal colic pain in 30 minutes compared to placebo (mean difference (MD) -3.84 cm, 95% confidence interval (CI) -6.41 to -1.27
I AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: NSAIDs may reduce pain in adult patients with renal colic compared to placebo. Comparing one NSAID against another, IV ketorolac may be less effective than IV ibuprofen, and pirprofen may result in less need for rescue medication than indomethacin. The intravenous route of administration is probably similar to the intramuscular route but may be better than the rectal route. The evidence is uncertain regarding the potential harms of NSAIDs. We were not able to perform subgroup analysis based on our predefined criteria because there were no eligible studies.